Brazil’s Federal Police Escalate Master Probe With R$5.7 Billion Freeze as STF Presses for Speed

Overview

• The Supreme Court–authorized second phase of Operation Compliance Zero carried out 42 searches across São Paulo, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Rio de Janeiro, with luxury goods seized and asset blocks surpassing R$5.7 billion.
• Targets included Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro, his relatives and investors Nelson Tanure and João Carlos Mansur; Vorcaro’s brother-in-law Fabiano Campos Zettel was detained at an airport, and Tanure had his phone seized at Galeão.
• Investigators say Master raised funds, routed money through investment funds and diverted values to Vorcaro’s personal assets, while inquiries also examine allegedly false credit portfolios sold to BRB and potential losses reported at up to R$12 billion.
• Justice Dias Toffoli authorized the new measures, criticized delays by the Federal Police, demanded an explanation from the director-general and ordered all seized materials to be sealed and safeguarded at the Supreme Court.
• In Operation Overclean’s ninth phase a day earlier, police executed nine searches and blocked about R$24 million over alleged diversion of parliamentary amendments tied to DNOCS contracts, as Mendonça Júnior’s defense called the searches strange and denied wrongdoing.